1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure, and more particularly to a vehicle front structure designed to prevent a shroud supporting a heat exchanger from being displaced rearwardly when a large impact load is applied rearwardly against a front end of a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a vehicle is provided with a shroud for mounting thereto a heat exchanger, such as a radiator or a condenser, in a front thereof. This shroud has an upper shroud section, a lower shroud section and a pair of right and left side shroud sections, which define a generally rectangular frame-like shape. The shroud is disposed on a rear side relative to and in adjacent relation to a front bumper of the vehicle. In some cases, a plate member is disposed on a front side relative to the lower shroud section. This plate member is provided as a means to, in the event of a frontal impact with a pedestrian, flick legs of the pedestrian so as to prevent the pedestrian from getting into under the vehicle.
In connection with the above type of vehicle front structure, JP 2006-001358A (Patent Publication 1) discloses a vehicle front structure comprising a plate member which is formed to have a lateral length (a length in a width, i.e., lateral, direction of a vehicle body) approximately equal to that of a lower shroud section, and disposed on a front side relative to the lower shroud section.
Specifically, in the vehicle front structure disclosed in the Patent Publication 1, the lower shroud section is formed with a plate-shaped extension portion extending frontwardly from a front end thereof, and the plate member is fastened to the extension portion with a bolt. That is, the vehicle front structure is intended to allow the lower shroud section to receive and absorb an impact load through the plate member during a frontal impact with a pedestrian or an obstacle. However, if a large impact load is applied rearwardly against the plate member during a frontal impact with a pedestrian or an obstacle such as a curb, this vehicle front structure is likely to fail in allowing the lower shroud section to sufficiently absorb the impact load, and thereby cause a rearward displacement of the lower shroud section. Consequently, the lower shroud section is likely to hit against a heat exchanger, resulting in damage to the lower shroud section and the heat exchanger.